


I Feel The Earth Move

by renn



Category: Doctor Who, Quantum Leap
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 07:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1974747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renn/pseuds/renn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam leaps into the Fifth Doctor right before the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake. Can he soothe an upset Tegan before the city comes crumbling down around them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Feel The Earth Move

I never know where I'm going to land when I leap. It could be any time (between 1953 and 1999), any place (usually within the continental United States), any body (and I do mean "body"). I also never get a chance to catch my breath before I'm caught up in someone else's life. So when I found myself on a merry-go-round post-leap, I immediately expected the worst. I mean, last time I found myself alone post-leap, I had landed in the life of a very attractive, very female secretary. What was I this time? A five-year-old?

I fought off the urge to look down at my new body-- I wanted to put off the bad news for as long as possible. Instead, I took in the scenery. The merry-go-round sat in an open area in the middle of an outdoor shopping mall. Boutiques lined two levels on either side. At the end of the throughway I glimpsed a greenish-blue bay with hills beyond that looked familiar but I couldn't place due to my swiss cheese memory. The merry-go-round itself was a restored wonder-- wooden horses, a mirrored carousel, and delightful music. Three toddlers rode with their parents standing next to them. I had no one near me.

Well, time to face the inevitable... time to find out what I looked like. I snuck a glance at the mirror above me. Yep. Bad news. I looked about 30, with shaggy blonde hair and deep-set blue eyes shaded by a cream panama. I had on the most unlikely assortment of clothes-- striped pants, a white tennis sweater, a white shirt with red question marks on the collar, and a dark cream frock coat with red trim and a stalk of celery on the lapel. I was either a hippie or a complete kook, and I wasn't sure which would be better.

The merry-go-round slowed; I jumped off as it stopped. Now what? Find someone else who wasn't dressed for the warm weather and hop the know "me"? A girl-- small, curly brown hair, big blue eyes, purple velvet pant suit-- stepped out of the balcony shadows. She blocked my path, as if she expected to ignore her. "Doctor," she began. She had a musical English voice filled with concern. "Are you through sulking?"

"Um...yes." So I was a doctor. Obviously not a medical one, from the way I was dressed.

"Then come try to talk to Tegan. She refuses to leave the TARDIS, no matter what I say to her. Perhaps if you two work things out a little...."

"Sure. Lead on." I let her take point while I flipped through a couple of possibilities. Was Tegan a relative? A business associate? A friend? a girlfriend? I placed my bet on number three, since the girl in front of me felt it necessary to intervene. In any case, I had to keep an open mind, roll with the flow, and follow a couple of other cliches that popped into my mind.

The girl headed for the bay end. As we cleared the last shops, I could see an abandoned institution on a small island mid-water-- and the country's most famous bridge off to the left. Things clicked: I was at Pier 39, San Francisco. I could live with that.

"Doctor...."

I looked back. The girl gave me an encouraging smile, then pushed open a door to a tall, blue wooden booth labelled "Police Public Call Box." I followed her inside...right into an impossibility. We walked into a huge, white, brightly-lit room with rondell-covered walls and a sexigonal control console in the middle that was right out of Star Wars. No way could this room fit into the small box we entered through, not even under quantum physics. Al, I need a little help here....

She led me through an interior door, down a short corridor, and into a shared, feminine bedroom. A young woman in an orchid flight attendant uniform (brown eyes, reddish brown hair) huddled on a vanity chair, clutching her purse to her chest. She looked pretty dejected, at least until she looked up. Her eyes flared. "Nyssa," she said in a strident Australian accent, "I told you I didn't want to talk to him."

"Tegan, please--"

"Get him out of here!"

"Tegan, I'm here to help." Well, that was certainly true.

"Right. Just like you helped Adric. No, thank you. Just get me back to Heathrow, like you promised. That's all the help I want out of you."

Tegan looked angry, but her voice shook. I wondered who Adric was and what I didn't help him with. It had to be pretty serious. My silence made Tegan fume more. I knew I had to say something, so...."Well, we're not too far away from San Francisco International."

"Doctor," Nyssa warned, "This is no time for jokes."

"Even if I could afford a ticket, it still wouldn't be the right year. You promised me Heathrow Airport, May 1981, and that's what I want."

"What year is it?"

"1989. You're getting closer," Nyssa said gently.

Ah ha! That explained everything. I was in a time machine! Could this be a fifth or sixth generation offspring of my own experiment? Could I use this machine to get back to my own time and body? Talk about needing a consultation.... but until Al showed up, I had better see what I could do for Tegan. I slipped my hands into my pants pockets. No sign of a wallet. Maybe in the coat? In any case-- "At least come have lunch with us."

"I'll find the appropriate currency." Nyssa all but ran out. 

"I am not leaving the TARDIS until we get to Heathrow. I'm not going to take the risk."

"What risk?"

"If I get separated from you, and get into life-threatening danger, you're not going to rescue me. You'll let me die. Just like you let Adric die."

Oh boy. I had a lot to straighten out this time. "Tegan, I--"

"And don't give me that 'violating the laws of time' nonsense. You could have gone back a few minutes. The Time Lords wouldn't have noticed. The space freighter still would have crashed and killed off the dinosaurs."

Time Lords? Space freighter? Dinosaurs? Maybe this _wasn't_ a great-great-great grandchild of the Quantum Leap experiment.

Tegan's anger continued coming out. "You know what I think? I think you let him die because you didn't like him. And you do the same to me!"

"Tegan!" Nyssa stood in the doorway, eyes as wide as her mouth. "How could you say something that hateful? You know it isn't true."

"Isn't it?"

"Look. Let's put all of this aside for the moment. We're in a beautiful city, it's a warm day, and my stomach's grumbling." At least I assumed it was my stomach. The gurgle was a little to the left, but it felt like a stomach gurgle. Besides, a change of location might make Tegan feel a little better. "Come on."

She looked away. Nyssa went to her friend and took her hands. "Yes, Tegan, come with us. It really is pretty out there."

"If we're all together," I added, "How can I not rescue you if something happens?"

"All right." Tegan rose resignedly. Nyssa trailed after her, pressing a couple of $20 bills in my hand as she passed.

I let them go a little ahead of me in the mall, so I could try to figure out things a little better. Okay, so there's been a death, and Tegan's blaming me for it. Am I supposed to merely talk her into renewing her trust, or am I actually going to have to prove it?

"Some people have all the luck. Two beautiful ladies at once!"

Al had finally shown up; he had fallen in step with me. "It's about time."

"I got a little delayed. You won't believe who you are!"

"Try me."

"For one thing, you're not human."

I stopped in my tracks. "What?!"

"Check your pulse." I put my fingers on my wrist. I couldn't really detect anything. "No check your heart." My fingers moved to my chest. I felt two hearts beating. "See?"

"This is incredible."

"You're a Time Lord called the Doctor. You're kind of a cosmic do-gooder who travels throughout the entire time-space continuum."

"You got that from Ziggy?"

"Not exactly." Al pulled out the hand-held terminal, checked the read-out, and hit it a few times. "We can't get much out of Ziggy, actually, since both you and Nyssa aren't native. What little we do know has come from the Doctor himself."

"Maybe I'm not supposed to do anything here. Maybe I'm supposed to relax while the Doctor gets me back."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, if he's a time traveler...."

"yeah, but you're forgetting. His brain's as swiss cheese as yours. Especially when it comes to time travel theory." Al hit Ziggy again. "Ziggy predicts a 52% chance you're here to help Tegan over Adric's death."

"Like I needed a computer to tell me that."

Al shrugged. "I'll let you know if we come up with anything else." He disappeared through his door.

"Doctor?" Nyssa looked back at me, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Just talking to myself." I aimed my next remark at whoever or whatever controlled my leaping. "Thanks a lot."

 

_I turned back around and hurried to catch up with Tegan. "I'm worried."_

_"About what? The Doctor?" Tegan snorted. "I wouldn't waste my time, Nyssa."_

_"He's been acting quite peculiar. I think Adric's death is affecting him more than he's admitting."_

_"I think you're imagining things. He's being horribly selfish, and-- well, it's not right."_

_"Do you really believe that? In your heart?"_

_Tegan refused to return my gaze, and thought about it as she stepped around a small boy. "I...well, yes, I...oh, I don't know. I don't know at all anymore. I guess I'm not taking it very well. I wish I could be more like you sometimes."_

_"No, you don't."_

_I would have continued, but the Doctor's voice interrupted us. "Ladies? Food's this way?" He pointed out a set of swinging doors. "Unless you're not hungry...."_

_"No, well, eat, I guess." Tegan backtracked a little. "It'll prolong your torture, at any rate," she added as she slipped past him._

_The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. "Why me?"_

_"She'll snap out of it soon enough. I hope." Even I wasn't fooled by the reassurance. "Shall we go inside?"_

 

We found Tegan with her arms folded across her chest and her foot tapping away angrily. She jutted her chin towards the line-up of fast food spots. "This is your idea of lunch?"

"Well, it's typically American, isn't it?"

"It's typically awful, I'd say. You could at least spring for some proper food. A condemned woman deserves at least that much."

"Condemned? Tegan, what are you talking about?" The Australian didn't respond. "Doctor--?"

"Don't mind her, she's paranoid." I grabbed Tegan's wrist and pulled her out the door. "You want real food? Let's get some. Any particular cuisine in mind? Chinese? Italian? Seafood? Sushi?"

"Sushi."

"Sushi it is. I know this great little place in the Marina District...."

Tegan jerked her wrist free and walked ahead of us towards the Pier's exit.

"What's sushi?" Nyssa asked.

"Raw fish."

"Euuuuu!" She wrinkled her nose.

"It's not as bad as it sounds."

"If you say so." We walked in silence for a moment, weaving our way through the incoming shoppers at the base of the pier. "Doctor... I'm so glad you're humoring her. You being in one of your moods wasn't helping things any. What made you change?"

"Um... a new perspective on the situation." Well, I suppose that was as good a description as any of me leaping in. "She's awfully worried that she's going to end up like Adric. She also doesn't think I like her much."

"Do you?"

"Well...."

"You never show it, if you do. You two argue almost as much as you and Adric did. No wonder she's so scared."

"But you're not reacting like she is."

"I understand the laws of time a little better than Tegan. I know you can't go back to save him... or go back to save Traken from destruction. It's a limitation that has to be accepted." Nyssa's eyes watered. She looked so sad I instinctively placed an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

Tegan glanced back at us. Her eyes narrowed, then she faced determinedly forward and quickened her pace.

 

We caught a cab to the Marina District. As the girls took in the spectacular sights, I marveled at how I could recall in vivid detail a San Francisco sushi bar when I couldn't dredge up a hint about quantum time theory. Well, at least we'd get a good meal.

The cab let us out in front of the place-- just as I remembered, 2 blocks west and 1/2 a block south of the Lombard St. Jack-In-The-Box. Tegan made a face at the unassuming store front. "This is a 'great' sushi bar? It looks like a hole in the wall."

"That's what's so great about it. It doesn't cater to tourists." I hustled them inside. A middle-aged Japanese lady smiled at us and pointed at the deserted bar. I nodded, then pushed them towards the stools.

Tegan made sure Nyssa sat between us. She wasn't giving me any chance, was she? I let her contemplate the green-painted brick walls while I tried to guide Nyssa through the maze of displayed. "That's tuna, and that's mackerel," I said, pointing. "And that's-- uh, you should avoid that for now. That's eel, and it's really an acquired taste."

"Where should I start?" Nyssa asked in a small voice. I think the variety intimidated her.

"Why don't I order the first couple of rounds for everyone?" Nyssa nodded; Tegan ignored me. I took that as consent, and signaled the sushi chef over. "Two tekka maki, 2 kappa maki, and 2 California maki."

The chef nodded acknowledgement and set to work, his hands flying over his work area. I wiped my hands on the provided damp towel, sipped at my cup of green tea, and studied the girls. Even Tegan had become entranced by the chef's deft movements. Good. Maybe it'd take her mind off Adric for a bit.

The chopped-up maki rolls landed on a small, legged wooden board. The chef added a bit of pickled ginger and a lump of wasabi (y'know, that green horseradish-like stuff) and presented me with the finished product and a little bow.

"Doumo." I placed the board in front of Nyssa. The girl looked from it to me and back with wide eyes. I showed her how to separate the bamboo chopsticks, hold them, and use them to pick up a piece of tekka maki. She imitated me bringing the piece up to my mouth; she lost her grip on it before she could pop it in. The piece tumbled onto her lap.

Nyssa's forehead wrinkled slightly. I gave her an encouraging smile, catching out of the corner of my eye the Australian reaching for some California roll with her fingers. "Maybe you should use your hands, like Tegan."

Tegan snapped her hand back without any sushi. She studied the chipping nailpolish on her left thumb. Nyssa sighed, then took the piece off her lap and ate it. Her face lit up into a surprised smile. "This is good!"

"You like it? Then try this." I mixed a bit of the wasabi with some soy sauce in a tiny saucer. "Dunk your next piece in this before you eat it."

Nyssa did so, and her grin widened. "Are you sure this is raw fish?"

"Quite sure." I leaned back a little, to better see Tegan. "Don't just sit there. Dig in. You wanted sushi. There it is."

"I think I've lost my appetite."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that." I helped myself to more.

"Doctor." Nyssa's whisper was barely audible. "What are you doing?"

"Giving her a taste of her own medicine."

"You're not going into another of your moods, are you?"

"If not pandering to her mood means that, then yes."

"Doctor...."

"Look. Life goes on. She's got to learn that. Maybe treating her normally will make her see that."

"Perhaps. But it probably won't."

"You have to think a little optimistically." I raised my voice a little. "Ready for the next round?"

"Round? Oh, of sushi. Yes. Yes, I am."

"Good. Do you want more maki, or do you feel a little more adventurous?"

Nyssa thought about it for a moment. "Adventurous."

Tegan sighed loudly. Nyssa started to turn towards her, but I put a hand on her shoulder and shook my head. She met my eyes questionly for a moment, then acquiesced. I gave her shoulder a squeeze, then turned to the hovering chef. "Two maguro, two hamachi, two, um, tako, two ebi, and one tobiko with quail egg."

"Hai." The chef set to work. I settled back for another performance. Tegan curtailed my enjoyment by demonstrating at least 15 different ways to look bored. It was a good thing I wasn't sitting next to her. If I were, I would have to try desperate measures. Slapping, kicking her in the shin, pinching her arm-- anything I could steal from my little sister. And if that didn't work then a swift push into San Francisco Bay....

The chef presented the next round, my special tobiko with quail egg in the center of the display. I figured that if I couldn't get Tegan to talk, I could at least get her to laugh. "Okay, you two, check this out. Tegan, that means you, too." She glared at me-- but at least she looked up. I picked up the tobiko. "Note all the little teeny weeny tiny flying fish eggs. Note the slimy quail egg on top. Note me downing it in one swallow." I tossed it in my mouth and made a great many grossed-out faces, as if I were struggling to get it down before other things came back up. I made a great show of swallowing, choking out, "See? No problem."

Nyssa had covered her mouth; she hugged herself tightly but still shook with laughter. Tegan, however, sneered. "Make as big a fool as you want out of yourself, Doctor, it's not going to work. I hope you and Nyssa are very happy together." She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the restaurant.

"What did she mean by that?" wondered Nyssa.

"I think she thinks we're in love or something."

"That's ridiculous." She focused on choosing another piece of sushi.

"I'm going to straighten her out. You stay here, and I'll be back in time to pay." I hurried out.

I couldn't see Tegan, so I took a chance and headed down to Lombard St. Once I reached the corner, I spotted her orchid uniform stomping eastbound. I took off after her.

Al popped in next to me. "Not having much luck, are you?"

"You amaze me, Al. I didn't think you were capable of the understatement."

"Oh, you're in a good mood."

"You try talking sense into her."

"I'd like to try talking other things into her."

That remark brought me to a dead halt. "Look, I don't need your lurid cracks. Why don't you make yourself useful for once--"

"For once?!" Al drew himself up, insulted.

"Okay, you're frequently useful. I apologize."

"Thank you."

"Do me a favor?"

"Maybe."

"See if you can find out if there's some other reason why the Doctor didn't go back to rescue Adric."

He gave me a puzzled look. "Um, sure, Sam. Sure." He disappeared through his doorway.

I sighed. As much as I welcomed his presence, sometimes Al could be a real pain. Getting rid of him would let me try to figure out things in peace. I glanced down the street. Tegan was still walking. I took off again.

Okay. Let's think things out a little. The dinosaurs died out because some kind of asteroid impacted with Earth and started a new Ice Age. Apparently this asteroid was really a spaceship with this Adric person aboard. The poor guy was probably killed on impact. Why wouldn't the Doctor go back to save him?

What about what Tegan said-- that the Time Lords wouldn't allow it? Sounds like beaurocratics to me. Beaurocratics can always be worked around. Maybe there's another reason? Some Human (or Humanoid) remains needing to be found...? I don't think so. I mean, I think I would remember-- even with all the holes in my memory-- something like that. It'd be a major archeological mystery or something, right? So that wasn't it.

What if it had something to do with the composition of Adric's body? The proteins, the amino acids... that's it! Even if it wasn't it, it was what I was going to tell Tegan. Since I was pretty sure she wouldn't get an explanation after I leapt, she should get one now. (How did the Doctor get away with staying so distant from his friends? Not explaining things... Tegan and Nyssa both deserved that much.)

I reached the corner with the Jack-In-The-Box, and realized I had lost sight of the girl. I looked around, panic starting to rise. But, no, there she was, around the side of the restaurant, sitting dejectedly at a table.

I ducked inside, bought a couple of pops, and joined her outside. "Hi," I said, placing a cup in front of her.

"Won't you please leave me alone? You don't really care about me. You're just doing this to make Nyssa happy."

"I do care, Tegan, that's why I'm here. That's why I chased you a good half mile!" Tegan took the drink and began playing with the straw, making little squeaky noises. She didn't look at me. It didn't surprise me any. "I'll make a deal with you. You listen to my explanation, and if you still want me to go away, I will."

She squeaked her straw again. "All right."

All showed up behind Tegan. "Sam, I got the info-- and you're not going to believe it!"

"In a minute," I muttered between clinched teeth. I met Al's eyes; he got the hint, and, resting his chin in his hand, settled down to wait.

"What?"

"Um, nothing, Tegan, I'm just trying to figure out the best way of putting it. I didn't save Adric, and I'm not going to. If I do, I'll end up wiping out the Human race before it even begins."

"How did you know?" Al's eyes had widened.

So had Tegan's. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the chemical components of Adric's body provided the catalyst for the development of Human life. Take that away, and your kind--" my kind, too, I added to myself-- "-- will never develop. Do you want to sacrifice your life and the lives of all your family and friends for his?"

"Everyone's?"

"Everyone's."

"Throughout all of time?"

"Throughout all of time. No Mozart, no Shakespeare, no Van Gogh, no Einstein...."

"I get the idea." Her voice sounded very small. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"This ought to be a good one," Al commented.

"Would you have listened to me earlier?"

"No. Oh, Doctor--" she burst into tears.

I held out my arms, and she let herself be hugged. He sobs grew worse. I rubbed her back a bit. "Shh, Tegan, shh. It's all right."

"How did you know?" Al demanded.

"It was an inspired guess."

"Geez." He straightened, shaking his head. "This is getting a little to sci-fi-ish for me."

"Oh? And what do you call being a hologram?"

"That's different. I kinda sorta understand the science behind it. And don't tell me you understand that kind of science. It's just too weird." Al pulled out Ziggy and pressed a couple of buttons. "Oh, Sam, you'd better brace yourself...."

"For what?" My teeth started rattling. I thought it was Tegan's crying, but then the vibration started coming up through my feet. It felt like I was driving with a lat tire, which is a really strange feeling when you're sitting at a picnic table.

"Doctor? What's happening?" Tegan disengaged her face from my shoulder, but still held on.

"I don't-- earthquake! Of course! The San Francisco Earthquake of 1989!"

Al, who wasn't shaking and was thus hard to look at, nodded. "A good portion of the Marina District's in the process of being flattened. There's going to be a massive fire at Divisidero and Beach, and--"

"Oh, no."

Both Al and Tegan looked at me. "What?"

Now I knew why that particular sushi place stuck in my mind. The last time I ad been in San Francisco-- just before I started work on the final phase of the Project-- I had found the place had been closed. The building had been leveled in the Earthquake. "Nyssa!"

Al looked up and addressed an unseen someone. "Gushie, center me on Nyssa!" He vanished.

"Do you think she's all right?" asked Tegan.

"I know she isn't. Come on."

 

_The fish started rattling before anything else. For a moment, I thought I must have had too much to eat. After all, I had finished off both my sushi and the Doctor's, and I was watching the chef make another tekka maki for me. But then the lights began shaking, and the chef paused in mid-cut._

_He cocked his head. "Earthquake," he decided. "Under doorway, quickly!" He darted for the curtained passage between the back and the restaurant proper._

_The woman who had seated us grabbed me by the arm and pulled me with her. I found it hard to stay upright, let alone move forward, but the woman kept dragging me, pulling me off balance until I slipped. She let go to get a better grip on me. I struggled to my knees-- then the ceiling fell in and the earth stopped moving._

_The woman screamed, but I had no idea what had happened to her. I had been buried in plaster-- and from the wright on my legs and back, I figured a ceiling beam covered me as well. I wasn't in any pain per se; I was simply pinned to the floor. I could only see the tiles in front of my nose, and hear only sirens in the distance competing with the woman's tears. I didn't hear the chef. Was he all right?_

_I tried to crawl out from underneath the debris. I heard another beam shift as I wiggled a little forward. Perhaps I should stay in place? Yes, that's it. Stay in place. I could almost hear a stranger's voice telling me that._

 

Once the earthquake stopped, we had an easier time running. I'll never know how Tegan kept up with me in those heels! We had to dodge around a couple of people who still stood still-- I'm not to sure if they hadn't realized the earth wasn't moving any longer or if they were still too stunned to do anything else. 

I lead the way around the corner, skidding to a halt when the sushi bar came into view. Tegan pulled up behind me. "Oh m-- Doctor? What are we going to do?"

I took another look at the building. The roof had definitely caved in, and the entire structure sagged against its neighbor as if it were using the building as a crutch. It also creaked in a way that said it was willing to collapse completely. Well, no wonder-- they did tear it down, didn't they? "You stay out here."

"No."

"I thought you wanted to be safe."

"I also want to help." She looked at me determinedly, but I could still tell she was scared.

I wasn't about to argue. "Okay-- just watch your step, and don't touch anything." I took her hand; after a moment, she squeezed mine. 

We picked our way inside, over body-sized plaster ceiling chips and splintered wood. The hostess huddled underneath an interior doorway, crying softly. The chef lay sprawled out next to her. Near them, some ceiling supports had fallen-- with the plaster underneath, it looked like a 20th century wigwam.

Tegan drew close to me. "Where is she?"

"If I knew that, we wouldn't be standing here." I raised my voice. "Nyssa?"

"Doctor?" the faint cry came from somewhere in the middle of the wigwam.

Tegan gasped; I pushed her towards the back. "Go see to the others. I'll take care of Nyssa."

"All right." Her voice did not inspire me with confidence. She made her way back to the couple.

Al popped up in the middle of the rubble. "She's okay, Sam, she's just pinned down by one of the beams."

"But where is she in that mess?" He pointed down and to the left. I spotted a patch of purple velour. "Hang on, Nyssa. You'll be out in a minute." I moved some of the plaster away and found her head. I patted the curls lightly. "See?"

"Could you be quick about this?"

"Sure." I studied the way the beams sat. One crossed Nyssa diagonally, laying across her lower back and one of her legs. Another rested against both it and a third that still had one end in the roof.

"You're gonna have to be careful about how you move it," Al pointed out. "You might bring the whole building down."

"It's going to be torn down, anyway."

"Do you want it to come down while you're still in it?"

"Okay, okay, I get the point...." I got on my knees for easier leverage, then grasped the beam nearest me. I thought I'd lift it a little bit... but I didn't take into consideration my non-Human body. I jerked the beam up a good six inches. The other beams groaned loudly. "Ah, Tegan-- get them out of here. Now."

She tried to shake the chef awake, realized it was pointless, and grabbed him under his arms. The hostess took his feet and together they moved him out. I waited until they were outside before continuing. "Nyssa, it's up to you now. Can you wiggle out?"

Nyssa tried to move; the beams creaked again and she stopped. "Is it safe?"

Al checked Ziggy. "Sam, you have eleven seconds before an aftershock wipes this place out."

"Move."

She scrambled out. "Ow," she said, stretching. "I'm going to be sore for a week."

"Can you walk?"

"Slowly-- my one leg's kind of stiff."

"Five seconds," Al warned.

"Hang on." I scooped up Nyssa, flung her over my shoulder, and tore out of the place.

The earth shook again as I hit the sidewalk. I put Nyssa on her feet and turned around in time to witness the building give a final sigh and completely cave in. Al, oblivious to the falling walls, joined me. "Good job, Sam."

"Well, is that it? Why aren't I leaping?"

"I dunno... Ziggy's still thinking about it." He shook the handheld unit a few times. "All this sci-fi stuff must be giving him a headache."

"How can a computer get a head--"

"Doctor," Tegan interrupted. "This man's hurt. Can't you do something for him?"

"Maybe that's why you're here," said Al.

"Maybe." I kneeled next to the still-unconscious chef. After checking his pupils and inspecting his cranium, I concluded, "He's got a slight concussion. Get him to a hospital, ma'am, as soon as you can." The hostess nodded, and rested the chef's head on her lap.

"Doctor, there's many others right now who can use our help," Nyssa pointed out.

"Maybe I should do some scouting around?" Tegan started off down the street.

Al shook his head,. "I can do it faster, Sam."

I stood. "You stay with us, Tegan. We'll be able to find them." I added more quietly, "Lead on, Al."

 

_We spent most of the evening roaming around the district helping where we could. The Doctor managed to find many people in need. I'm not sure how he did it-- it was as if he was listening to someone else tell him where to go and who needed help most. At any rate, he did most of the work. Tegan and I kept to the background, wiping the odd nose or giving a word of comfort where needed. Most of the time we simply watched the Doctor in action._

_Some three hours into our rescue mission (according to Tegan's watch, at least-- I'm not too sure yet what an hour is), we stood on a sidewalk. The Doctor sat crosslegged on the ground next to a small boy whose ankle had been sprained during one of the aftershocks. Hew was wrapping it up, and chatting amiably with the boy's mother, telling her what to do about it. Tegan sighed. "I don't believe this."_

_"Believe what?"_

_"The Doctor's never seemed to enjoy helping people before. Look at him. He's positively chipper!"_

_"But at what cost?"_

_"Cost? What do you mean?"_

_"I think he's putting on a big show... perhaps to show a certain air hostess he's not as cruel as she makes him out to be."_

_"But...I've forgiven him. I mean, now that he's told me exactly why he can't go back and all."_

_"Have you told him that?"_

_"I guess not."_

_I gestured towards the Doctor, who was now helping the boy to his feet. "There he is. Don't you think it's time you should?"_

_Doubt crossed Tegan's face, but she was spared from replying by the Doctor joining us. "Well, that's the last of them. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use a rest."_

_"Back to the TARDIS?" I suggested._

_"Back to the TARDIS." He cocked his head slightly, nodded once, and added, "We might have a bit of a walk before we can find a cab."_

_"We can manage."_

_"Tegan?" he prompted._

_"I guess... although, you know, I'm sort of hungry."_

_"We could stop along the way." He paused again. "The Jack-In-The- Box is still open, unless you'd rather we try to find a real sit-down place."_

_"Jack-In-The-Box is fine."_

_"Great." He herded us along. I went a little under duress. I simply couldn't contemplate putting anything else inside me until I'd finished digesting that sushi...._

 

I wasn't really hungry, but I did need something to drink. From the expression on Nyssa's face, I think she didn't think much of the idea. But, to keep Tegan happy, I got us back to the restaurant. The place was pretty jammed, since it was one of the few locations in the area that still had power. I made the girls sit at an outside table while I went to wait in line inside and confer with Al. I pretended to scrutinize the menu. "Well?"

"I dunno, Sam. Ziggy swears you should have leaped by now." He pointed at the unit with his cigar. "Maybe we ought to take it in for its 33,000 leap checkup or something."

"Swell. What am I supposed to do next? Get Tegan back to Heathrow or something?"

"Speaking of the devil...."

"Huh?" I felt a tug on my coat sleeve. Tegan had joined me in line. "I thought you were going to wait outside."

"Well, I.... this is very hard for me."

"Tegan," Nyssa prompted from behind us. "You promised."

She glared at her friend. "I know, I know.... Doctor, I'm... I'm sorry for being so horrible. I understand now you had no choice. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Only if you'll promise not to doubt me again. Come here, both of you." I caught up both of them in a tight hug, to their surprise and the amusement of a teenaged boy in an adjoining line. "I care about you two deeply-- you should know that. I'm horrible at showing it, that's all."

"You have more important things on your mind," Nyssa said.

"It's not that at all. Just remember that, no matter how I act, I will come through for you."

"I know that-- now," Tegan said.

Al's face brightened. "That was it! Say goodbye, Sam."

I kissed both Tegan and Nyssa on the tops of their heads... then the familiar blue arcs enveloped me and I was off to somebody else's problem.


End file.
